Edmonton er closure

Wow one patient shuts down the er.

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/edmonton/royal-alex-emergency-department-to-reopen-after-ebola-scare-1.2774057

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Royal Alex emergency department to reopen after Ebola scare
AHS says closure was precautionary measure
UPDATED10:21 AM MT
CBC News
Alberta Health Services has announced it will reopen the emergency department at the Royal Alexandra Hospital after confirming the diagnosis of a potentially contagious patient.

The patient's travel history suggested he may have been exposed to Ebola, said Dr. Gerry Predy with AHS.

However, doctors have since ruled out the possibility, said Predy.

Earlier Monday morning, AHS announced it would be closing down the emergency room temporarily while it managed the care of a patient with a "potential contagious illness."

The area has now been completely cleaned and decontaminated as a precautionary measure.

The emergency department is expected to reopen around 11 a.m. Monday. Until then, AHS asks that any Edmontonians seeking immediate care visit other centres in the city.

From articles on web looks like they pulled the plug and closed up er at approx 6:30am by 10:30 to 11:00 had ruled out Ebola and disinfected er. I wonder what testing they used to rule out Ebola??

In my humble opinion, Canada is the first for an imported Ebola case, followed by California and New York.  I base this on history.  SARS first made it's way to Canada when it left China, as well as an h5n1 case.   When a case fist appears outside of Africa,  it will probably be Canada.  It could because their surveillance is incredible, or luck of the draw, but Canada is a major hot spot.  My mother is a kanook lol, and actually didn't become a U.S. citizen until 5 years ago, and she was secretary to the mayor in Salem, Oregon.  A very smart woman.  Her husband, my step dad, is extremely patriotic, so when my mom recently got her U.S. citizenship in retirement, my step dad rented a plane and flew her over the U.S. capital building, lol.  My mother is also fluent in 6 different languages and pumps a very high IQ.  

Anyway folks, a suspected case in Canada needs to be followed until results.

This is WAY too close to home... couple hrs away - they BETTER state test results!

That's great Edwin.  They took similar paths.  In  the civilized world (unlike Africa), a lot of our cultures and countries are very similar with the types of people and values, and sometimes it's important to remember that during our political debates in general discussion.  

I agree Newbie, Drumfish and our Canadian friends, that Canada is close to home for a lot of us.  Canada is usually on top of things and they don't mess around.   Let's hope we get those results soon.

Ok, so patient wasn't tested as itinerary says they weren't in affected country???
Regardless - I agree with lady in this article (who was sitting directly beside suspected case in emerg waiting room) that sending everyone else home to 'monitor their own symptoms' before ruling out Ebola - seems a little dumb! So we have a guy in emerg, other ppl within 3' (easily) plus the ones who walked past him on way to X, the ppl who used washroom after him etc...all going home when he was still an unknown. This doesn't sit right with me. I realize you can't 'hold' them all but why not isolate him, and have all them in emerg till you know more? I don't know hospital protocols' or how this should have been handled - just doesn't seem right

[URL= ][/URL]http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/royal-alex-ebola-scare-response-troubling-edmonton-woman-says-1.2774676



Royal Alex Ebola scare response troubling, Edmonton woman says

Other patients told to go home and monitor symptoms before virus ruled out, woman says

By Marion Warnica, Scott Lilwall, CBC News Posted: Sep 22, 2014 6:34 PM MT| Last Updated: Sep 22, 2014 7:37 PM MT

Linda, who wouldn't give her last name, says she was seated directly beside the patient with a possible case of Ebola in the hospital's waiting room, and she is worried about how the lockdown was handled.
Linda, who wouldn't give her last name, says she was seated directly beside the patient with a possible case of Ebola in the hospital's waiting room, and she is worried about how the lockdown was handled. (CBC)

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An Edmonton woman says she is deeply concerned with how the Royal Alexandra Hospital dealt with what was originally suspected to be an Ebola case. She says other patients who were in close contact with the patient were told to go home before the contagious disease was ruled out.

"Everybody freaked out when there was lockdown,” said Linda, who refused to give her last name, saying she was afraid of repercussions.

“We were all so scared. We didn't know what it was."

The hospital closed down its ER early Monday morning, after health officials suspected that a patient was possibly infected with Ebola, based on travel history and symptoms.

The ward was later reopened after a closer look at the itinerary showed the patient was not in the same region as the outbreak. Health officials will not be testing the patient for the virus.
■Royal Alex emergency department reopens after Ebola scare
■Guinea’s Ebola outbreak: Disease poses little threat to travellers, expert says
■Ebola shutdown campaign in Sierra Leone reached 80% of target households

The latest outbreak of the virus in West Africa has killed 2,793 people as of Sept. 18, and recently prompted Sierra Leone to ask six million citizens to stay indoors for three days as health officials went door-to-door searching for infected people.

Linda, who was in the ER with her father, said she was seated directly beside the patient.

The patient was seen by doctors at 6 a.m. and was isolated shortly afterwards. The hospital began turning away patients about half an hour later.

Despite the fact that the emergency room wasn’t opened again until 11 a.m., Linda says she and others in the waiting room were told that they could go home around 9 a.m.

Linda says she was told the risk of others being infected was low, but that tests would take two days to confirm whether the patient was infected with Ebola or not. She and the other patients were told to monitor their symptoms.

"I freaked out. I said 'oh my God, is taking care of my dad going to cost me my life too?”

Procedure followed, hospital says

While Ebola has a high fatality rate, the virus is only transmitted through bodily fluids and patients generally aren't contagious until symptoms show, which limits how fast it can spread. Dr. Gerry Predy with Alberta Health Services says it is unlikely that the virus will be seen in Canada, and that if a case is found, it would be easier to contain the spread here.

“I would say the chances of a case of Ebola appearing in Canada is pretty small but I think all of the … hospitals across the country are prepared to deal with a case of Ebola,” he said.

“Today’s actions should provide reassurance that even if there was a case of Ebola — as rare as it might be — it’ll be handled.”

Still, Predy says officials at Alberta Health Services are asking anyone who visits an emergency room and has recently travelled to Africa to tell health workers immediately.

Germ Nerdier wrote: Well d'uh! I would think symptoms WERE SHOWING if the person was taken to hospital. They should have tested the initial patient, regardless. At least then all the other people wouldn't be freaked out for 21 days waiting to see if they're going to get sick. I swear, I'm moving to the States.